All posts by skyebjenner

Otherworld Secrets by Kelley Armstrong

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
otherworld-secrets

Title: Otherworld Secrets
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld Companion
In: Otherworld Secrets (Kelley Armstrong)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Short story collections, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Collection
Publisher: Orbit
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: “Yeah, yeah,” he muttered.

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Synopsis

A collection of novellas and stories, both original and specially chosen by the author, featuring much-loved Otherworld characters in heart-stopping, pulse-racing action.

Kelley Armstrong captivated readers with her Sunday Times bestselling Women of the Otherworld series of supernatural thrillers. Now her characters return in this gripping anthology.

The collection begins with a brand-new novella featuring werewolf Karl Marsden and half-demon Hope, in what might be Karl’s last heist. Meanwhile Elena and Clay are trapped in a wintry small town with a killer on the loose, in the fast-paced and atmospheric novella ‘Forbidden’.

In ‘Angelic’, former black witch and part-tiome angel Eve is sent on a dangerous mission by the Fates, while necromancer Jaime tackles a ghost with a seriously bad attitude in ‘The Ungrateful Dead’. Zoe Takano is forced to defend her territory in the hugely entertaining ‘Zen and the Art of Vampirism’. And in the final novella, ‘Counterfeit Magic’, Paige Winterbourne and Lucas Cortez take on a troubling case that will change the couple for ever.

Thoughts

This was yet another brilliant collection of Women of the Otherworld stories. Although I have finished the main body of novels, it has been really enjoyable to revisit much loved characters again and again and again. It’s a great way to get another fix without rereading the entire series (which I will definitely be doing at some point in the future).

Heists, journeys and secrets take the centre point in Otherworld Secrets and it is not in the least disappointing. Going on a journey with the werewolves, Hope, Jaimie… it’s an adventure that I’m sad is over, and one that I look forward to taking again and again and again.

<- Otherworld NightsOtherworld Chills ->

Image source: Goodreads

Life After Theft by Kelley Armstrong

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
otherworld-secrets

Title: Life After Theft
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld #13.6
In: Otherworld Secrets (Kelley Armstrong)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Orbit
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: I need you to talk to your husband.

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Synopsis

Karl has sworn to retire from the world of thieving and start life as a family man… werewolf. But, he doesn’t take into account the manipulations of the supernatural community. It turns out that Karl has one last heist to perform if it means saving his reputation and protecting his family.

Thoughts

Karl and Hope are an incredibly chaotic and entertaining couple. The fact that their daughter, who is now three-years-old, is just as incredibly chaotic and energetic as her parents, is kind of a fun bonus. It is this very chaotic toddler who was the cause of Karl’s retirement. But as with the world of Women of the Otherworld, nothing ever goes as planned. Now, Karl is faced with people ruining his reputation, double crossing and questioning his future plans.

Hope and Karl might be planning on the arrival of their next baby, and the amount of children they want in their little family, but they are also forced into an international trip. The sticky predicament that they find themselves in. luckily, Hope’s abilities and their teamwork work as they always do – to get the pair out of trouble.

<- ForsakenThe Puppy Plan ->

Image source: Goodreads

Forsaken by Kelley Armstrong

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Forsaken

Title: Forsaken
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld #13.5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Subterranean Press
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: And afterward.

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Synopsis

Three years after being named Alpha of the North American pack, Elena Michaels is in Londong battling for respect from the British pack. When it becomes apparent she won’t get it, she heads home, expecting a much-needed rest on her family vacation, only to discover a battle brewing of a very different kind.

One of her eight-year-old twins has disappeared, and all evidence points to Malcolm Danvers. It seems as if the psychotic former Pack member they’ve been tracking for the past year has brought the fight to them, setting the bait he knows Elena can’t afford to ignore.

Number one New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong returns to her much-loved Otherworld with this powerful novella detailing the latest trials and travails of a fan-favorite character, a working mother who happens to lead the werewolves of North America.

Thoughts

Elena’s position as Alpha is tenuous and difficult. Although her Pack may understand and appreciate that she is fully capable, the male-dominated world of werewolves doesn’t see it in the same way. Sound familiar anyone? So, an entire novella about how she handles her new role and the derogatory ways in which her Alpha-ness is approached was really beautiful. Plus, visiting a more stable, well-balanced version of Elena was incredibly enjoyable.

Honestly, I got frustrated just reading some of the scenes in this book – being called hysterical because she was getting pissy at the stupid men. Honestly, its’s one of the most irritating comments that I’ve heard from people. It’s also a great highlight of how badly we all experience double standards. After all, if a man gets annoyed, he’s just annoyed, but whenever us women feel the same, we’re hysterical, annoyed or probably PMSing… the fact that Parker (the British Alpha) then uses Elena’s motherhood and care for her family against her… I almost had steam coming out my ears just reading it. Which I think is kind of the purpose… throughout the entire series, we’ve watched Elena grow and change, and then everything is disregarded because of her genitals. It also leads to the complications that arise throughout the story, but, as always, Elena manages to triumph over the morons who challenge her.

Forsaken doesn’t just show how Elena has evolved, but how the entire Danvers clan has changed. The twins have also grown and altered as they’ve turned from screaming toddlers to kind of terrifying nine-year-olds. Alright, they’re definitely not normal, and the whole family is a little off-kilter. But the characterisation works beautifully. It also matches the incredibly off-kilter parents, and makes the entire journey so much more enjoyable. It also makes me wonder what kind of children I’ll possibly produce in the future…

<- Bounty HuntLife After Theft ->

Image source: Tez Says

Bounty Hunt by Kelley Armstrong

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Bounty Hunt

Title: Bounty Hunt
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld #13.4
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Graphic novels, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Graphic novel
Publisher: Subterranean Press
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: Meanwhile at Stonehaven…

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Synopsis

After the Australian Pack murdered Reese William’s parents, the young werewolf fled and took refuge with the American Pack. Three years later, the Australians have tracked him down and dispatched a bounty hunter to bring him back. That bounty hunter, though, isn’t the lone wolf who owes them a debt, but his twenty-one-year-old daughter, Madison. Maddie is determined to bring in the rogue Reese for her ailing father. Now Reese has to show her the truth behind her client’s lies…and avoid being the cause of an all-out war for Elena and the rest of the American Pack.

Thoughts

I love a good graphic novel – one that works in with a series that I love. But also that has a beautiful storyline, great imagery and, in this case, the same great sass that I’m used to in the Women of the Otherworld series. The fact that this brings us back to Reese’s predicament with the Australian pack, just makes it a much more enrapturing visual story.

Reese’s past is shown beautifully in Chivalrous, and it’s kind of a sad tale, but, ultimately it takes Reese to Elena. So, when bounty hunters come to the USA to take him back down under and kill him, the story has an almost more tragic turn. Luckily, Reese is wary enough after his experiences to be wary of the beautiful new girl in his life. And his trust in Elena lets her help him to overcome the hunt and another shard of his past can be healed.

Although the majority of this series is based in the USA, there is a sense of the global supernatural community throughout the series. Bounty Hunt just drives the constantly changing world of globalisation and how it impacts us all.

<- BrazenForsaken ->

Image source: Goodreads

Brazen by Kelley Armstrong

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Brazen

Title: Brazen
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld #13.3
In: Otherworld Chills (Kelley Armstrong)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Orbit
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: Nick looked toward the window, where he could pick up the distant wail of a siren.

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Synopsis

Nick Sorrentino knows everyone in the supernatural world considers him the Pack’s playboy, the pretty but not very useful werewolf whose only reputation involves his amorous exploits.

Usually, Nick couldn’t care less what anyone outside the Pack thinks of him. But when it affects his hunt for Malcolm Danvers, a psychotic bogeyman from the Pack’s past, it matters.

Necessity forces Nick to team up with mercenary half-demon Vanessa Callas to run Malcolm to ground in Detroit. Together, they discover Malcolm is more deadly than ever. And he wants to play.

It’s time for Nick to prove he’s not just a lover.

Thoughts

Malcolm’s existence and survival in 13 was a bit of a shock – after all, I’ve spent the entire Women of the Otherworld series believing that he was killed. As did the remainder of the characters. So, it was nice to get a bit of an update as to how the werewolf Pack were dealing with his ability to survive almost anything. The fact that Brazen is a tale about Nick and his pursuit of Malcolm (as well as his new standing and responsibility in the Pack) just made this a far more enjoyable novella.

I love that every character in this series has their own perfect match. Mostly it’s unconventional, not quite what you expect, but it works. And, FINALLY, Nick meets his perfect match. She’s not what I would have expected, it’s not the meet cute you would expect, but it works out well. It would certainly be difficult to accept Nick’s playboy past, but Vanessa somehow manages to do it and I love the not-so-tactful way in which she does this.

Malcolm is the boogeyman of the werewolf world – he is kind of intimidating and overwhelming and a sadistic a-hole. The depth to which this sadism and horror has expanded whilst in Cabal custody has only expanded, and it makes him an amazing villain throughout this story. And by amazing, I mean really intimidating and terrifying, and kind of difficult to read this tale late at night.

The bounty hunters throughout highlight our inclination to negatively reflect on the more ‘animalistic’ sides of our nature. I love that through all of the Women of the Otherworld series, the werewolves are considered to be lesser in so many ways. Not just brutish and driven by impulses, but also unable to control themselves. This prejudice against following one’s ‘emotions’ (animalistic nature) causes them to be cast as the ‘other’, and worthy of hunting. Seeing it from the point of view of Nick and the rest of the Pack makes me understand how minority groups that are undertrod can possibly feel.

<- Vanishing ActBounty Hunt ->

Image source: Goodreads

Weir of Hermiston by Robert Louis Stevenson

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Weir of Hermiston

Title: Weir of Hermiston
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
In: Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and Other Strange Tales (Robert Louis Stevenson)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Easy reading
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Kingsford Editions
Year: 1896
5th sentence, 74th page: ‘I maun have forgotten to change them,’ said she; and went into prayers in her turn with a troubled mind, between anxiety as to whether Dand should have observed her yellow stockings at chuch, and should thus detect her in a palpable falsehood, and shame that she had already made good his prophecy.

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Synopsis

The Lord Justice-Clerk was a stranger in that part of the country; but his lady wife was known there from a child, as her race had been before her.

The old “riding Rutherfords of Hermiston,” of whom she was the last descendant, had been famous men of yore, ill neighbours, ill subjects, and ill husbands to their wives though not their properties.

Thoughts

I didn’t love the ending of this – and then I found out that it is an unfinished work, and my dislike for the ending finally made sense. It wasn’t an ending at all, just a point at which the writing stopped. Knowing that has made me a lot more inclined to like what was written, and feel a little sad that there is no ending to be seen.

The Weir of Hermiston read like a biography – the history of the parents, the marriage, the housekeeper, were all delved into and provided a rich backdrop against which Archie is living his life. His choices, the words, the actions are all informed by his history and although I found some of the explanations a little too long winded, and, yes, tedious, it worked well in the characterisation.

It’s just a pity that it was never finished, I suppose I will just have to imagine a happy ending for myself. At least, an ending that would leave me happy anyway…

 <- Markheim ReviewDr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Strange Tales Review ->
Image source: Open Library

Slack, slack, slack (I like 3’s, so sue me)

Blog, ,

I’ve been really slack with my writing / blogging / bascially existing lately. So I thought that I’d try and write a bit of a longer post today. But, really, there’s not much that I have to say (which has helped with the slackness).

Things that have happened in the last month:

  • I had the worst Christmas of my life thus far (and that is all that needs to be said on that).
  • I had a great NYE. Until my best friend got upset. But we ended up watching Mulan as the clock ticked over, so all in all, not a loss.
  • I got a scholarship to study a PhD, but part of me doesn’t 100% believe it’s true… so I will write more on this when I feel more confident…
  • I didn’t quite make 1000 books for the end of the year… that was quite possibly the greatest dissapointment of all.

But basically lately I’ve worked and slept, still kind of exhausted today… think I might have to go see a doc or something about it, it’s getting beyond a joke. It’s honestly made for a pretty boring past month, and as I said… a slack with, with not much to write about…

Hopefully that’s going to change for the new year! I have lots planned, now I just have to make sure I can do it all… and have the energy… :S

Tea with the Black Dragon by R.A. MacAvoy

Book Review, ,

Overview

Tea with the Black DragonTitle: Tea with the Black Dragon
Author: R.A. MacAvoy
Rating Out of 5: 1.5 (Couldn’t get past the first chapter)
My Bookshelves: Dragons, Fantasy
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: eReads.com
Year: 1983
5th sentence, 74th page: Her face was still hot; he would think she were blushing.

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Synopsis

Martha Macnamara knows that her daughter Elizabeth is in trouble, she just doesn’t know what kind. Mysterious phone calls from San Francisco at odd hours of the night are the only contact she has had with Elizabeth for years. Now, Elizabeth has sent her a plane ticket and reserved a room for her at San Francisco’s most luxurious hotel. Yet she has not tried to contact Martha since she arrived, leaving her lonely, confused and a little bit worried. Into the story steps Mayland Long, a distinguished-looking and wealthy Chinese man who lives at the hotel and is drawn to Martha’s good nature and ability to pinpoint the truth of a matter. Mayland and Martha become close in a short period of time and he promises to help her find Elizabeth, making small inroads in the mystery before Martha herself disappears. Now Mayland is struck by the realization, too late, that he is in love with Martha, and now he fears for her life. Determined to find her, he sets his prodigious philosopher’s mind to work on the problem, embarking on a potentially dangerous adventure.

Thoughts

I struggled with this story. Actually, I struggled so much that I read the first 150 pages (to satisfy reading challenge requirements) and then gave up completely. Normally I’ll put down a book after the first chapter if it doesn’t capture my attention, but I tried and tried with this. Mostly because I love the idea and the concept, I just found the writing a little difficult to get through.

The main thing that I found really irritating about this story was the passage of time. Where most pieces of writing that I’ve read use a break in paragraphs, or a new chapter to denote a change in location or time, this didn’t. Actually I continuously got confused about where the characters were and why they had jumped from one location to another.

 <- More dragons reviews More fantasy reviews ->
Image source: Amazon

The Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

Let It SnowTitle: The Patron Saint of Pigs
Author: Lauren Myracle
In: Let it Snow (John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Easy reading, Romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Penguin UK
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: What would you like a sample of?

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Synopsis

The third story follows a girl named Addie, who is depressed because she broke up with her boyfriend Jeb. The backstory of her relationship with Jeb is told, about how the two had instantly fallen for each other, but that Addie had kept trying to change Jeb. This resulted in Jeb feeling inferior and the two fighting. After one fight Addie had gotten drunk and made out with someone else, telling Jeb it was over. Upset, Jeb had taken a train to meet his family on an Indian reservation, unaware that Addie has sent him an email apologizing and hoping to work things out. When he didn’t call or respond, Addie assumed that the relationship was over and cut her hair short and dyed it pink as a way to show that she wanted a change.

Thoughts

I think that every teenager is a little self-centred. Something about puberty, and angst and just generally growing older. We grow out of it pretty quickly. We realise that sometimes it’s just not about us. And in the case of Addie, it takes a pretty big kick up the bum for her to realise this. And, although this is still a Christmas romance, it’s more about her friendships and the girls who love her (and are willing to kick her).

Addie’s history with Jeb (who is met in both The Jubilee Express and A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle), but it’s Addie’s tale and her side of the story that makes it more understandable. Not exactly allowing her past acts to be excusable, but to be less vilifiable. Her morose reminiscing are only the beginning of the story though. Like her spunky pink hair, Addie finds a way to rally and, in finding her own Christmas angel, finds a way to become a better person.

 <- A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle Review Let it Snow Review ->
Image source: Better Reading

The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

Let It SnowTitle: The Jubilee Express
Author: Maureen Johnson
In: Let it Snow (John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Easy reading, Romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Penguin UK
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: Rachel!

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Synopsis

The story follows teenager Jubilee Dougal living in Richmond, Virginia. She has been forced to spend Christmas Eve away from her boyfriend Noah, and with her grandparents after her parents are arrested for participating in a riot over a cult-like set of miniature decorative houses – the Flobie Santa Village – with one of the pieces being her namesake, Jubilee Hall.

Thoughts

I loved this story. It was cute, sweet and just the right touch of corny to make me go ‘oooooooooooooh’. Jubilee is not only stranded in the middle of nowhere, but from the beginning you can tell that she has a very unappreciative boyfriend. Although it’s a little see through who she is going to end up with, and it’s a little obvious that Noah is going to get tossed from her life, it’s still a really fun and sweet journey.

I loved the quirky and unique voice of Jubilee throughout this story. It’s funny and entertaining, with just the right amount of pizazz to make you laugh. The sarcastic and witty sense of humour and the self-deprecation made me feel like I was talking to a little more put together version of me in my senior years of high school. Although her trust in Stuart is a little jeeby at the beginning, it works out beautifully and I enjoyed the eccentric family that she found herself in.

Starting of a chain of events, Jubilee’s adventure and Christmas romance is the beginning of something beautiful. And a great reminder that in this season, anything can happen.

 <- Let it Snow Review A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle Review ->
Image source: Better Reading